Nathan Robertson looking to turn corner as England start season with Japan dates

Team England return to competitive action this week for the first time since
their withdrawal from the World Badminton Championships in India two months
ago with Nathan Robertson, the Olympic silver medal-winner from Athens,
admitting that he was unsurprised at the criticism directed at the eight-man
squad.

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Return to court: England and Nathan Robertson will play two matches against JapanPhoto: AP

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Revival: England are looking to win more titles with youthful squadPhoto: GETTY IMAGES

By Rod Gilmour

7:30AM BST 16 Oct 2009

England pulled out on the eve of the tournament in Hyderabad after citing “lax security” amid reports suggesting a terrorist group was planning to target the tournament. However 44 other teams carried on in India as Badminton England was forced to defend its decision at a hastily-arranged press conference in Milton Keynes on return to the UK

A two-match series with Japan, starting on Friday at the University of Bath, is now the focus as England start an important period, culminating with the 100th All England Open Championships next March and the European Individual Championships in Manchester the following month.

Speaking for the first time, Robertson, who won gold with the now-retired Gail Emms at the 2006 World Championships, said: “There will always be regrets but that is in the past now. In the main run it was the right decision.

“It wasn’t disappointing to read [of England’s return] because when you look at this country people prefer to criticise and deal in the negatives rather than the positives. To me it was a natural reaction for people to criticise rather than support it."

After holding court for all the wrong reasons in August, Robertson is looking forward to playing his first match since reaching his 100th cap in the Sudirman Cup in May. And with under a year to go until England return to India for the Commonwealth Games, Robertson has played down security concerns in Delhi as preparations continue to be blighted.

"It is great to finally get some tournaments on since our withdrawal. The Commonwealth Games is a huge event in itself as opposed to a single event such as the World Championships. You make a decision like that at any competition and you have to take them all on their own separate values.

“We are used travelling to places like Indonesia. We are not used to the next step up such as reports of threats to tournaments so that is where you have to seriously consider it.”

England currently stand in uncharted waters on the international scene. Their decision to pull-out of the World Championships was a blow to their chances of closing the gap on Asian dominance after Adrian Christy, Badminton England’s chief executive, who was confident of a world medal in Hyderabad, said earlier this year that England were capable of overhauling China by 2012.

Robertson says that England is bracing itself for a crucial period in the sport. He said: “It is a very important time. For the last few years we have had the same players competing for titles and it is time for the younger players to come through and start challenging. We have a lot of players between 19 and 23 ready to step up.”

Robertson will team up with Anthony Clark in the doubles against Japan - the reigning English national champions are ranked 10th in the world and won the Singapore Open back in June, the first time a British pair had won a title since 2006.